N. Face Mt. Buckner

[summitseeker]

Scoped it out this past weekend. Didn't climb it as it's got at least two big schrunds, thin up top (scree and potential scrambling), and has a pretty indirect approach due to crevasses on the Boston. I'd say put it on the list for next year.

[terrible_ted]

Not what I was looking to hear!

How close were you to the base of the climb - i.e. did you cross the Boston or was this based on eyeballing things from the Boston/Sahale col?

I'm planning to getting up there this weekend. I got a pretty favorable report on conditions from someone who climbed it about two weeks ago.

[savaiusini]

Ted,

I too was out there last weekend with intentions of doing the face in a day. Here's a brief synapsis...

Left car: 7:30am

Got to Boston Basin: 9:00

Boston/Sahale Col via Queen Sloppy: 10:30

Looking towards Buckner, it appeared the NFace was melted out for about 300ft, about 2/3 of the way up. We couldn't tell for sure so we climbing traversed out to the Boston Glacier on the fairly loose-but-beaten path behind Boston peak (Boston would have been an easy climb if we'd have had a bit of rock pro). To get to the Face, we would have had to pick our way down end running around roughly 20 gapers and losing way too much elevation to get to a clean line that would lead to the base of the face. Once we were out on the Boston a way, we could clearly see that the Face was melted out as we had suspected (I prefer to call this "partial-frontal nudity"). We had binocs so we were sure~! This was also later confirmed by a fellow we met on top of Sahale who had flown over 3 weeks ago and saw the melt out. At the base of the face, there were 3 full width 'schrunds to deal with, only one of which looked passable. If you get that far, the bombardment of rock from above would surely poop you into the 'schrunds. If one were able to live this far, then and only then would you reach 400 ft of nice blue/gray 50deg. ice to the top.

Bottom line: we came prepared for a stiff ice route, but this was going to be a lot more than we wanted to get into.

After getting back to the Col, we ate a leisurely lunch, scoped out a forest fire in the Stehekin drainage (we could actually see the flames!) and traversed over the top of Sahale, rapped down the south side and hiked out to Cascade Pass via Sahale arm.

Maybe next year? Get it done by late-July and it should be pretty straight forward. Hope this helps,

Sam

[wayne]

Did it 2 weeks ago it was fine .we did the left couloir..Crossing boston gl no problem.Route was easy

[David_Parker]

Did it two weeks ago. (see above post). Ditto! To elaborate: We had great weather. We did not try it in a day and would not suggest such! Why kill yourself? (not litterally) Crossing Boston was piece of cake, passing schrund no problem, climb awesome, descent arduous. I would not wait until next year! It's perfect right now!!!

[chris_w]

From my memory, there are 2 couloir on buckner. The north face which you can see from forbidden\sharkfin... Then there is a second coloir farther east (can't remember name) that you can't see until you are right under it.

David: Are you referring to this second couloir when you mean the Is that what you mean by the Left Colior.

[summitseeker]

I second what savaiusini said. I only inspected from the base and summit of Boston Peak, so it is an oblique view. I can't speak to the condition of the couloir since it's not visible behind the cleaver.

[summitseeker]

BTW, I am not saying that it is unclimable. Just stating that it's not the asthetic route that it would be earlier in the season. We thought about battling our way up it but decided to wait until next year when it's in better shape.

We also scoped out the SW descent. It's almost completely melted out -- scree all the way. You don't hit snow again until about 7,000 feet once you bypass the buttress and start climbing back to Sahale Glacier Camp.

[savaiusini]

ditto...coulda dun it, but didn't wanna get that medevil on it.